Arbroath defender Ricky Little is enjoying being compared to David Beckham after scoring a spectacularly bizarre goal from inside his own half two minutes from the end of Saturday’s League Two drubbing of Berwick.
Beckham, who celebrated his 40th birthday on Saturday, notched one of the most memorable goals of his career in superb style from 60 yards against Wimbledon in 1996.
Little wouldn’t claim his effort was in the same class as the former England international’s fantastic effort, but he’s happy for the comparison to be made.
Little said: “The boys are joking, saying it’s a tribute for David Beckham’s birthday. I just hit it up into the air for Jack Smith to run on to, but it caught in the wind, took an awkward bounce and went over the keeper.
“I turned away after I hit it because I didn’t think it was going anywhere.”
Little’s strike was the icing on the cake at the end of a superb Lichties second half performance which sends the Gayfield men into Wednesday’s play-off semi-final against Queen’s Park full of confidence.
Todd Lumsden, who was confirmed as manager on a permanent basis on the eve of the game, said: “Berwick gave us a lot of problems in the first half but we came through it and did well in the second.
“We scored some good goals and Simon Murray’s header in particular was excellent.
“I thought we had played very well in the previous two games as well, although we didn’t get the results.”
The Lichties were under the cosh for spells in the opening period when playing into a troublesome wind, but after the break the home side ran amok.
Bobby Linn opened the scoring in the 51st minute when he latched on to a through ball from Kieran Stewart and calmly rounded the Berwick keeper to slot home his 11th goal of the season.
Murray added a second eight minutes later when heading in a Linn cross. The hitman was on target again shortly afterwards when he outpaced the Berwick defence before firing low into the net to take his tally for the season to 23.
A dispirited Berwick side was reduced to 10 men in the 83rd minute when Stephen Tulloch was dismissed for pulling down substitute Kevin Buchan. Thomas Grant curled in the resultant free-kick to make it 4-0.
Little’s punt from the halfway line completed a remarkable second half performance, which gave the Lichties their biggest league win of the season.
Arbroath were joined in the play-offs by East Fife, who secured their place with a 3-1 win over Elgin City.